Steering by Starlight: Find Your Right Life, No Matter What

I never thought of myself as a self-help book kind of person. It's true I've bought my share of them, whether through various recommendations during my years of therapy, or out of some misguided hope that the answer to all my problems lay in one of them. If anything, I would have thought of myself as a jaded cynic. I frustrated my therapist with my resistance to "exercises". And then I came across Martha Beck.

I'm not a fan of Oprah. I derided friends of mine who dared recommend "The Secret" to me. I actually first came across an earlier book of Beck's, "Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live", while browsing the self-help/self-development/self-whatever section at Borders. The title of the book was exactly what I was looking for, but even better I was engross in it as soon as I started reading it in the bookstore.

This weekend I had a road trip to take, so I looked Beck up here on Audible and came across this book. I downloaded, and I actually was glad when I got stuck in traffic because I could listen to more of it. The book truly resonated with me, even though--from the new-agey sound of it, I wouldn't have guessed. It is well-grounded, backed by scientific research, skeptical, intuitive, and most importantly self-deprecatingly funny. In a way, the book is not ground-breaking; it sort of validates notions one has suspected all along. But perhaps in precisely that way, it is life-altering. It gives you concrete detailed advice about how to face the most difficult questions in your life, something I did not think possible, especially after digging the annals of philosophy and psychology for quite a few years now in vain.

I will recommend this book to 2 of my best friends, and I hope it will be as valuable to them as it was for me. And if I'd recommend it to some of the dearest people in my life, I'd certainly recommend it to you.

I have listened to A LOT of self-help (and now have a love/hate relationship w/ the genre). Do not be afraid, because Martha Beck is one of the best. When self-help is good, it's wise and inspiring, and this book is that...

Great company on a daily commute or a regular walk, with lots of helpful insights and concrete suggestions for getting centered, taking stock and making changes.

It's not crammed with revolutionary ideas or new concepts, but I have very little patience for gurus who insist their audience throw away everything they know and buy completely into the "one true way according to so-and-so."

I much prefer Martha Beck's style of offering her own perspective on some common issues we all face, suggesting some steps that might help, and readily agreeing that you don't have to swallow everything she says.

A self-deprecating, honest book with a few profanities and a lot of helpful ideas.

I am really enjoying this book and think it will be helpful, however it has been hard for me to get through it due to all the necessary "assignments." I can't get through a single commute without being told to consult the PDF files and fill something out. In other words, this book doesn't lend itself well to the audiobook format.

It seems like a good book but there are to many parts that are useless because the PDF is not available.

She has an interesting voice and a good sense of humor. Important in an audio book.. You should try the down-loadable exercises too, so you don't feel left out, when she says "Now go to the PDF". I found her case studies/stories useful and not representative of any ego as another commenter complained.

This is a beautiful book written by a wonderful woman. It is very helpful if you are trying to find your purpose in life. If you aren't, then it might not make sense to you. Martha's writing is insightful, funny, and will help you make the transition to your true life.

I previously listened to Following Your North Star, by Martha Beck, and thought it was really good. I liked Martha's philosophy enough to seek out more of her writing, and came to this book next. I love this book! I can say without doubt that it has made me a much happier, calmer person, and a better person for other people to be around. It has set me on a path of seeking greater understanding and growth in myself. That is a big job, and I need reminding of how to keep moving forward and not stagnate. For that reason, I re-listen to this book now every 3 or 4 months. I find the spiritual component very inspiring, and relate to it more and more. I also want to say that while hers is not the best narrative voice I have listened to, it would not be the same without her reading her books. I really feel like this material needs to be read by Martha herself to impart its full meaning. If you are ensconced in a particular dogma, you may not enjoy this book, but if you are open-minded, come and get it!

Author reading own writing

Delightful

Reads like she's speaking to you.

Understanding that bad experiences are the pivotal point that create good things happening in your life.

Enjoyed the experience.

Exact to the point.

I am a big fan of Martha Beck. This book is a more evolved work from the original Find your Northstar. She is very pragmatical on her approach to real life struggle, she is very well articulated and researched and always uplifting without promising fairy tales. I am a life coach myself and always feel very inspired by her work.